Okay, lost three deck lockers during Hurricane Ike...EVERYTHING GONE! My boat's (Tayana 42) coming out of the yard soon and making a mental list of everything I need to replace! There's gotta be a check list so I don't go about this randomly!! It gets overwhelming...15 years of acquired maintenance supplies...sandpaper, thinner, wax, cleaner....holy cow...Just give me a list!!!!!!
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My deck box is a Home Depot pool deck box that I bolted directly to the dock. Unless the entire dock floats away, it's not going anyhere. My inventory includes: 2 plastic bins with divided compartments for nuts, bolts, washers, screws, clamps, and extra cleats, blocks, etc. Electric drill and bits (even after 2 years they've not rusted). Portable BBQ, extra lines and old fenders. Small assortment of brushes, putty knives, etc., but I usually just leave the paints, varnishes and such in a plastic bin in my trunk.
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Go to a chandlery or read one of the books you may already own. Any worthy sailboaty maintenance book will have a superb list of "stuff."
If I were in your shoes...
One thing I noticed every time I sold a boat and had to take everything home till I closed on the next one: I'd never needed at least HALF the stuff I'd brought home, so it didn't go back. But somehow, the next time I still had a whole dock locker full of junk I didn't need.
So if I were in your shoes, I wouldn't try to replace everything you think you're EVER likely to need...I'd buy what I need AS I need it...and then gradnually add all those "everyone needs at least one of these" that'll fill up the locker, but won't actually ever need either.
One thing I noticed every time I sold a boat and had to take everything home till I closed on the next one: I'd never needed at least HALF the stuff I'd brought home, so it didn't go back. But somehow, the next time I still had a whole dock locker full of junk I didn't need.
So if I were in your shoes, I wouldn't try to replace everything you think you're EVER likely to need...I'd buy what I need AS I need it...and then gradnually add all those "everyone needs at least one of these" that'll fill up the locker, but won't actually ever need either.
the contents of my dock box
lets see: there's a left topsider that I don't want to throw away because I'm certain its mate is somewhere around here; and there's an eighteen inch section of unused sanitation hose that could actually be useful for a future boat project; there's a sun shower I almost invariable forget to take up to the Delta in the summer; there's a nearly full can of Daly's Sea Fin that I used on the previous boat but not the present boat; there's a shoebox full of semi-used sandpaper and a pressure washer I haven't used in two years and a rusty can of acetone and an emergency supply of kitty litter. And some rubbing compound. And the boat's Christmas lights.
Hard to know how we'd get along without that stuff.
lets see: there's a left topsider that I don't want to throw away because I'm certain its mate is somewhere around here; and there's an eighteen inch section of unused sanitation hose that could actually be useful for a future boat project; there's a sun shower I almost invariable forget to take up to the Delta in the summer; there's a nearly full can of Daly's Sea Fin that I used on the previous boat but not the present boat; there's a shoebox full of semi-used sandpaper and a pressure washer I haven't used in two years and a rusty can of acetone and an emergency supply of kitty litter. And some rubbing compound. And the boat's Christmas lights.
Hard to know how we'd get along without that stuff.
You might be surprised, the dock boxes in the attached image were also bolted down to the pier (you can still see some of the bolts)...
I'm with Peggy on this one, less is more.
Currently I have an AC, some fenders, a spare sail, my BBQ pit and an empty gerry can in my box.
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OMG... are those boat piled like toys on the shore? I guess we're pretty lucky to sail in Georgian Bay, Ontario -- no hurricanes (sharks, gaters, etc.) to worry about. Best wishes to all of you.
Another option -- find a good marina buddy you can share between you. Less costly and reduces the environmental impact of more packaging and toxic cleaners discarded.
Another option -- find a good marina buddy you can share between you. Less costly and reduces the environmental impact of more packaging and toxic cleaners discarded.
No-one has mentioned the safety equipment, PFD's, life jackets etc., and the plethora of fenders and spare mooring lines.
Just a deck locker?
We have a dockbox, a storage unit and a full garage. Whatever we need is somewhere we are not which then prompts a trip to Wal-Mart, Lowes, or West Marine which is why we have a dockbox, a storage unit and a full garage
We have a dockbox, a storage unit and a full garage. Whatever we need is somewhere we are not which then prompts a trip to Wal-Mart, Lowes, or West Marine which is why we have a dockbox, a storage unit and a full garage
Isabell waters were almost a foot higher than our dock boxes. Dock boxes, being somewhat made to keep the elements OUT, also kept the elements IN once the waters receded. No way of knowing how long some boxes stayed flooded from neglect, but I took my cordless drill and made drain holes in the bottom of mine, and many of the neighbor's boxes.
Do these become nesting places for bugs? I've never used one prefering to clutter my boat with all the stuff I know I will need someday. How about getting a POD? Will those float away in a storm or are they heavy enough to stay put? Then you can store bicycles, maybe a small car like a smartcar, etc.
I just gotta ask since nobody else did: Do you mean DECK box, as in attached to your boat deck, or a DOCK box, attached (supposedly) to a dock?
Nomenclature is important.- Status